Given that I’m a mother, I know one of the most painful part isn’t getting something large through your hooha. It’s having a genuine live child.

If you are the kind of mom who styles your kiddo’s organic quinoa into reproductions from the Mona Lisa, usually do not go through this book. If you stayed up past midnight to generate posters for your PTO presidential advertising campaign, do not read this book. If you look down your nose at parents who’ve Domino’s pizza on swiftness dial, usually do not examine this book.

But if you are the type about I’D LIKE My Epidural Back: Travels in Mediocre Parenting of mother or father who accidentally goes ballistic on your own rugrats every morning because they don’t put their shoes on and you are feeling super guilty about any of it all day so you take them to McDonalds for a particular deal with but really it is because you opened up your fridge and panicked because you forgot to buy more frozen pizzas, then absolutely read this book.

I WANT MY EPIDURAL BACK is a celebration of mediocre parents and how awesome they are and how their kids love them just as much as children with perfect parents. Karen Alpert’s honest but hilarious observations, tales, quips and photos will have you nodding your mind and peeing within your jeans. Or on the toilet if you are smart and go through it there.